Safe Haven
by The Nerdfighter
Summary: Darkness falls and the dead have risen, a massive horde of rotting predators roaming the streets of New York City. No place is safe, not even underground, but the Turtles must find a way to safe haven before it's too late - the dead trailing dangerously behind on their path. Zombie Fic! Rated M for violence and swearing.


**Author's Note:** Damn, if I keep listening to these persistent plot bunnies, I'm never going to update to the stories I already have on this site. Dx But, in my defense, I've been wanting to post this idea up for a while. Plus, I couldn't let all those magnificent ideas from **TheIncredibleDancingBetty **go to waste! Without that fabulous mind of hers helping me sort through all the different types of zombies out there, this whole idea wouldn't have been possible.

Alright, readers, let me just say that while I'm slowly getting in tune with how a horror fic is structured and written, I still consider myself a horror genre virgin. With "Severed" (which I PROMISE I'll update soon!) I just got to dip my toes in to get a feel for the gruesomely horrific. Now I'm happy to say that I actually really, REALLY enjoy writing dark tales with a spooky underlining. Plus, zombies are what's hot right now, right? I'm sorry, but 'Twilight' just ruined the whole vampire craze for me. :P Vampires should in no way, shape, or form sparkle. Plain and simple. :P Gah! But that rant is for another time. I'm sure you'd like to hurry up and get to reading the story.

Like I mentioned before, this fabulous idea wouldn't have been possible without the help of the Queen of Horror, **TheIncredibleDancingBetty**. I hope I dun made you proud, Betty by finally getting the first chapter done. Took me a while, actually. :/ But it's finished and I hope you all enjoy! XD Let me know what you think and don't be afraid to give me a little constructive criticism. No flames though, please. Flames will be viciously pelted with snowballs. :P

Alright! So without further adieu, here's Chapter 1 of my zombie fic, "Punishment of the Damned". Hope you all enjoy and don't forget to mosey on over to the new Stealthy Stories site. Nominations for the 2013 Fan Fiction Competition are coming soon so get those stories all sorted out!

Enjoy the fic. :)

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**Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles**

"**Punishment of the Damned"**

**Chapter 1**

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It was difficult to see through the haze of fog.

Translucent, yet thick, the city was engulfed in a mist of harsh grays and subtle shadows. A white militia of crystal shards parachuted from the fat, puffy clouds above, shrouding its citizens in a cloak of darkness. A sea of white washed over the concrete pavements and cracked roads, making it difficult for the local bystanders of New York to power through in their rush to get from place to place. The winds were callous and unforgiveable, the temperatures only dropping lower as the roads slicked over in a coating of frozen ice. It was a frightening incidence, yet a beauty to behold. A treacherous wonder that Michelangelo couldn't tear his eyes away from – the glass window fogging over with every astonished breath he took.

"Wow." He gasped incredulously. His eyes flicked over in every direction; as if afraid he'd miss something glorious in the making transcended from Casey and April's apartment window. "It's so beautiful, isn't it guys?"

"Try walking back home in it, Mike. I'm sure you'd be thinking otherwise," Raphael pointed out, setting down the bags of groceries him and his brothers had retrieved from their trip to the market with Casey.

Normally, it was Casey and April's job to do a lot of their grocery shopping, seeing as a thick coat, scarves, and hat could only hide so much green skin and turtle features. Walking around in broad daylight was always something the brothers were excessively paranoid of, having been taught from a young age that humans would never be able to accept their appearances due to their mutant forms. And even though the plush clouds and falling snow shunned out most of the sunlight, the turtles couldn't help but feel rigid and stiff walking amongst humans at such close proximity. It was all so new. So foreign. Abnormal.

Because April was still fighting off her mid-winter cold, Casey was originally prompted to do all of the grocery shopping by himself. Talk of a nasty blizzard heading toward the east was enough to drive every into frenzy, rushing them by the dozens to every grocery store and supermarket they could find to stock up on canned goods, grains, and water. Due to this unfortunate circumstance, the turtles took it upon themselves to aid Casey on his trip, not wanting their friend to stumble back home hurt or beaten down by the massive horde of persistent shoppers.

Hesitant at first, Leonardo regulated everyone to stay close and never lose sight of each other, keeping their heads bowed and restraining any eye contact from anyone who passed by. But because everyone was in such hysterics, no one really paid any mind to the turtles' appearance, even if they were covered from head to toe in winter gear to shroud any depiction of their abnormal structure. Still, the four couldn't help but be overcome by a sense of relief as they shrugged off their heavy coats and sorted through the groceries before having to battle against the fighting winds on their trip back home.

"So how did the shopping go? Were there a lot of people?" April asked, a steaming cup of peppermint tea grasped firmly in her chilled hands.

"That would be the understatement of the century," Donatello answered with a huff, brushing off the excess snow that flaked over his purple-woven scarf. "I think my ears are still ringing from all the demon children that were screaming their heads off while we sorted through the aisles."

"At least the little snot-nosed shits didn't knock into you while we headed for the line." Raphael growled, his arms folded over his plastron while trying to reframe himself from shivering too much. He'd never admit it, but the hothead was actually really sensitive when it came to temperature. One of the reasons why he had constructed the Nightwatcher's suit out of form-fitting leather. It hugged his frame and kept him warm, especially when the night chills grazed over his body whenever he was speeding down the roads chasing after punks and criminals. But because the temperatures never seemed to bother his brothers, he didn't want to feel like a pussy and admit that he was actually freezing his nads off. So he kept his mouth shut.

April, on the other hand, could sense the rigidness in Raphael's posture and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. A light giggle escaped her lips and she quickly made her way toward the stove. "I'm making hot chocolate if anyone wants some. It'll warm you guys up before you have to head back to the Lair."

"Thanks, April!" Mikey chirruped, finally tearing his eyes away from the window before making his way toward the kitchen table. The little orange puffball on his beanie bounced with every buoyant step he took as he watched his brothers and Casey sort through the groceries. Casey was already going through the last bag, placing his and April's groceries on the counter while Leonardo re-bagged all of the items that had been on their list. Toiletries. Bread. Ramen cups. The essentials. Not to mention a case of batteries and a couple of flashlights. With a storm such as the one brewing outside, there was no doubt that power was going to go out pretty soon. It never hurt to be cautious and while Don was certain they had enough survival supplies tucked away in a box inside his lab, Leonardo just wanted to be safe. For the sake of his brothers and his sensei.

"You sure you fella's don't want a ride to the nearest manhole? The snow's coming down pretty hard out there."

"There's a manhole covering just around your guys' apartment building. The snow won't be an issue if we're travelling underground, so we should be fine. Thank you for the offer though." Leonardo set aside their bags at the edge of the table, taking a seat and rubbing his gloved hands together to ignite a warming friction. Already, he was beginning to gain the feeling back in his hands, curling and uncurling his fingers to get the blood circulating once again.

April smiled as she began pouring the hot chocolate into five thick coffee mugs, handing Donatello – who had been standing next to her to help out once the groceries were sorted – a few to carry while she held the rest. "Well you know it wouldn't be any trouble. I'm sure Master Splinter wouldn't want you guys freezing to death on your way back to the Lair."

"He's actually expecting us home before sundown," Donatello pointed out, setting down a cup of hot chocolate for Raphael while noticing the time illuminating from the kitchen stove. "Maybe we should drive back with Casey, Leo. Travelling on foot, we'd never make it home on time before the temperatures proceed to drop even further."

"Fuck that. I ain't about to catch what April's trying to get rid of. Leo can walk his happy ass home but I'm riding with Casey." Raphael grumped before taking a sip of his hot chocolate, silently reveling in the scorching liquid that chased down his throat and warmed his body.

Before Leo could even open his mouth to protest, the light hanging above him and his brothers began to flicker rather persistently, drawing out an annoying hum before short-circuiting and powering down. Eyebrows raised with heightened curiosity, both Casey and April noticed that all the lights in the apartment followed suit, flickering rapidly before powering down, entrapping them all in a sea of darkness.

"What the hell?" Casey got up from his chair with the legs screeching against the floor, April folding her arms and shooting him a rather incredulous look.

"Casey, did you forget to pay the electric bill again?" She asked with a stern tone only to have Casey look her way and shake his head back and forth with enough force to rattle his brain.

"Babe, I swear, I could've sworn I made the payment on time."

"Uhh, I don't think it's your electricity, dude," Michelangelo pointed out, now standing in front of the window looking over the city buildings and piling traffic down below.

While the city wasn't anything like Paris – a metropolis known for being the City of Light – New York came at a close second, overpowering the stars and radiating over its citizens in a candescence of light.

Tonight, however, wasn't the case. With the sun already making its departure for the day, the only form of light that prevented lower Manhattan from being swallowed up in a horde of shadows were the bright, beaming headlights and taillights of every taxi and every civilian car stuck in traffic, causing an uproar and rising panic that even compelled some of the pedestrians to let out fuming shouts and horrified screams. It was an adversity waiting to happen and Leonardo could already sense the tension in Raphael's shoulders as he began clenching and unclenching his fingers into tight, knuckle-popping fists. When there was no light, there was no power. And when there was no power, that meant there was nothing to generate the security cameras and alarms that protected homes and stores from getting ransacked. Innocent bystanders were like sitting ducks just waiting to get robbed. And it was only a matter of seconds before that thought crossed every thug and gangbanger across the city.

A knock on the door was enough to cut through the tension like a sharpened blade, causing each turtle freeze at a prominent standstill, their eyes wide and slowly flicking in the direction of Casey and April. The couple both exchanged rather confused looks, not one of them remembering ever inviting company before April set aside her coffee mug and made her way towards the door.

Leonardo was the first to snap out of his deer in the headlights carriage, throwing on his coat before instructing his brothers to do the same. Doing as they were told, his brothers followed suit and zipped up their gear so that their mutant features were completely tucked away, not a single trace of anything abnormal poking out for the world to see.

Glancing over her shoulder, April waited until the boys were securely swathed, Casey throwing her a thumbs up before she nodded and opened the door. What greeted her was actually rather surprising, a smiling face staring up at her while rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.

"Uhm, hey, Ms. O'Neil. Sorry to bother you." The young boy flinched, glancing in the direction toward the hall before he pointed at it with his thumb. "My dad went to go talk to the landlord about the power. Did it affect you guys too?"

"Oh, hello, Max," April greeted, glancing over her shoulder to see Casey walking up from behind her. "I think the whole city is going through a power outage. Everything's shut off in our apartment as well."

Max nodded his head once, his thin, chocolate tresses brushing over his eyes before he swatted them back with his free hand – the other holding a red, plastic flashlight. While Casey and April didn't associate too much with their neighbors – their randomized working schedules preventing them from doing so – the couple was rather familiar with Maxwell, the boy who lived just down the hall. However, April would see him from time to time, usually walking to the comic book store just a few blocks over or eating ice cream on the stoop. She never really did see him associate with any other boys his age.

"Everything alright at your place, little dude?" Casey asked, nudging his chin in the direction of Max's apartment while standing rather closely to April. After all, he didn't want to risk Max seeing any of the guys. The fact that their apartment was pitch-black really helped in their favor. But still, the vigilante couldn't help but be cautious.

Before Maxwell could answer, the sound of a loud crash could be heard coming from the floor below them. Breath hitched in his throat, Max's shoulders tensed before he took a cautious step back, his red plastic flashlight held securely in his hand while Casey stepped out of the doorway and into the hall.

"What the heck was that?" April asked, instinctively grabbing on to Maxwell's shoulders and holding him close. She could feel the young boy's body begin to shake with alarm, the flashlight he held in his hands illuminating the features of his face, casting over a series of shadows that highlighted his fear.

Hearing the loud crash shatter clamorously against the walls, Leonardo acted on impulse and reached over for his katana, grabbing April's attention before pulling his scarf over his mouth, his brothers following suit. Listening to the katana-wielding leader, April grabbed onto Maxwell's arm and pulled him inside the apartment, instructing him to keep quiet while she shut the door enough to where she was still able to peek outside.

Resting a gentle hand on Maxwell's shoulders, Leonardo looked up in the direction of his brothers and instructed them to watch over the boy, each of them nodding in understanding while making sure to keep a free hand on their weapons. Walking towards April, Leonardo hung over her shoulder until she immediately got out of the way, allowing the blue-banded ninja to get a better view through the hallway where Casey Jones stood and waited.

While the crashes seemed to still into a quiet hush, the eldest turtle still kept his senses on high alert, waiting for any other sounds that could be reverberating through the apartment complex. Hearing nothing out of the ordinary, he squinted his eyes to try to get a better view through the overlapping darkness, the sound of honking horns and angry bystanders from outside Casey and April's apartment window the only noise filling the lingering, suffocating silence.

And then … footsteps. Rushing footsteps! With the speed and dexterity that came with nearly fifteen years of ninjitsu training, Leonardo charged through the doorway and stood in front of Casey, katanas unsheathed and ready for the attack. Before the vigilante and the katana-wielder could even get a good view of their attacker, what their eyes transfixed on was a gushing onslaught of crimson blood, a torturous scream escaping the lips of what sounded like a man, piercing and tormented before he was ripped into the silence.

With the crimson liquid splattered across the lowering steps that lead to Casey and April's floor, Leonardo's eyes widened in fearful shock before the sound of footsteps struck straight through his eardrums. Hearing the groans of awful moaning, both him and Casey saw a group of heads poking out, hair disheveled and flecks of blood painted all across their pale faces.

"What the _fuck_!" Casey swore, Leonardo's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits before he pushed the vigilante back inside the apartment, screaming at April to shut the door and barricade it with whatever they could find.

Max trembled where he stood next to Michelangelo, backing away slowly while everyone else pushed chairs and even the kitchen table forcefully against the door, locking them inside so that no one could get in or out. The thought quickly dawned on him and he nearly dropped his flashlight before rushing over to April, tugging on her shirt with eyes pleading and moist with the promise of tears. "My dad! What about my dad? _April_!"

"Calm down, Max, just calm down." April dropped down to her knees, hugging the young boy close before cupping his cheeks and staring into his dark brown eyes. "Everything's going to be alright, okay? Your dad is probably safe. We just need to make sure that we're all going to be safe too, alright?"

"What the hell was that?" Casey nearly screamed in panic, pacing back and forth while his fingers fisted handfuls of his dark, disheveled tresses. He took a moment to stop before pointing at the doorway, staring up at Leonardo with fear prominent in his midnight brown eyes. "You saw what happened back there, didn't you? I'm not the only one going crazy right now, am I?"

"Leo, what happened back there? What did you see?" Donatello asked, trying his best to make his voice sound placid and under control while April held Maxwell in her arms and did as much as she could to soothe him into serenity.

A harsh bang coming from the door made everyone practically jump, Leonardo instinctively holding up his katanas while his brothers grabbed hold of their weapons. Casey, April, and Maxwell involuntarily took a few steps back, the sounds of car alarms wailing and people screaming coming from outside their apartment window. Fear shooting across his veins like a bolt of lightning, Max forcefully shoved his face into April's shoulder, his dark eyes wet and producing apprehensive tears while the banging only grew louder and more violent, the door hinges creaking and splitters of wood cracking jagged edges in the middle of the door.

Eyes as wide as dinner plates, Leonardo glanced over his shoulder and nudged toward the window, his teeth ground together in an impatient snarl. "Everyone down the fire escape _now_! Casey, I need you to grab the van and get it running as soon as you can. I'll hold off whatever's on the other side if they manage to break through the door."

"Nice try, Fearless, but we ain't leaving you behind," Raphael interjected, his sai's gripped at the ready while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Leonardo, his teeth bared in a battle-ready snarl.

"Do _not_ disregard a direct order, Raphael." Leonardo growled through gnashed teeth, his muddy brown eyes alit with a feral vengeance as the persistent banging only grew louder.

With the harsh gusts of wind blowing back his bandana tails, Raphael glanced in the direction of the apartment window, watching as Casey and April already began climbing through while Don and Mike helped Maxwell over the windowsill. Eyes flickering back, the red-banded ninja felt his hands curl into tight fists, a mulishing inferno sparking dangerously in his golden-rimmed orbs. Without uttering another word, Leonardo directed his attention back towards the door, his katanas at the ready while Raphael let out an aggravated huff before grabbing hold of his brother's shoulder.

"You better make it out safe, Fearless," he spat in a hushed whisper, giving Leonardo's shoulder a tight squeeze before rushing over toward the window, exiting through and scaling down the fire escape.

Holding his stance, Leonardo could feel his heart leap into his throat at the wooden splinters cracking and splitting. The eerie moans and garbled snarls jabbed fear into his already quickened heartbeat as he glanced out the window with widened eyes, taking cautious step after cautious step closer toward the open window.

As fast as they could without losing their footing, his brothers scaled down the frozen, creaky iron steps with haste. The roar of Casey's engine was faint compared to the sound of jagged nails grating over furnished wood, but Leonardo could still see the headlights of the van over the showering snowfall. The frozen shards of crystallized ice seeped through his coat and chilled him to the bone.

He took one last glance through the window everyone had escaped through and knew the door wasn't going to hold much longer. Fingers ripped and tore through the separated cracks that split through the doorway, a jagged thunderbolt-shaped line that showed just a glimpse of their pale, bloodstained faces. When the door gave way, Leo's stomach sank and he quickly moved over the windowsill and down the rickety steps, the sounds of the decaying beasts creeping closer and closer.

He planted a foot on the first descending step, but it wasn't steady and Leonardo nearly lost his balance. He heard Michelangelo scream out his name from beneath him with alarm, but Leonardo immediately tightened his grip on the side handles and adjusted himself, his heart clenched between the insides of his throat in sheer panic.

Eyes he didn't even know were closed immediately flitted open when Leonardo let out a breath of relief. Trying one more time, he lowered himself down one more step, but before his foot could connect with the frozen iron steps, he felt a tug in his hood. The vigorous yank nearly knocked his face against the chipped, rustic iron of the fire escape and with flourished terror, he stared into the eyes of the famished predator.

Its jaw was dislocated and hanging from its hinges, neck broken and lolled to the side. Eyes wide with terror, Leonardo was struck with a pungent smell that overpowered his senses, the smell of rotting flesh and decaying skin making his stomach churn in an uncomfortable flip-flop. Making haste, the moaning creature reached out with another rotting hand, but Leonardo quickly brought down his katana and cut through the appendage, slicing through it like melted butter. The undead corpse seemed completely unfazed, its fingers still wound tightly on the fabric of Leonardo's hood, drawing him closer with a strength that matched the blue-clad turtle. Maybe even surpassed him.

The bodies began to pile up on top of each other and each one reached for the katana-wielding ninja with grubby, disjointed fingers. Breath hitched in a terror, Leonardo tried wriggling his way out of his coat, sheathing his katana back in its holster and unzipping his jacket with shaky fingers. He could hear the apprehensive shouts coming from his brothers and Casey and April from down below as more and more hands gripped at the thick fabric of his heavy snow jacket, splitting the threads and tearing the cloth.

The harsh sting of the frostbitten winds pierced through his now exposed skin and with one feral swoop, Leonardo was free, the strong hold of the flesh eating monsters no longer pulling him forward and dragging him back up to be consumed as their next meal. A victorious smile split across his face, but it immediately faltered when Leonardo felt gravity slowly but gradually dragging him backward.

Underestimating how strong the winds were, he felt his body sway a little too far back, eyes widening and heart feeling as though it had come to a dangerous halt. Acting quickly, Leonardo reached out for the rustic side railings of the creaky fire escape, his other hand following suit and shooting forward in an attempt to grip the handlebars. His fingertips grazed the flaked rust that coated the iron steps, but it was too slippery, all coated in ice and wet snow. With gravity's arms locked around Leonardo's frozen frame in a secure grip, the blue-clad turtle felt time crawl at a standstill and he couldn't do anything but shut his eyes and fall to his death….


End file.
